Explain Agrarian Structure in Pre-British India.

The agrarian structure in pre-British India was diverse and characterized by various forms of landownership, land tenure systems, and agricultural practices. The predominant agrarian system was based on village communities, where land was collectively owned and managed by the community, and agricultural production was organized around communal land use patterns and customary laws. Village councils or panchayats played a central role in regulating land allocation, resolving disputes, and administering common resources.

In addition to collective ownership, pre-British India also saw the emergence of feudal land tenure systems under various dynasties and rulers. Feudal lords, nobles, and vassals held large estates as grants or fiefs from the king, and they exercised authority over land and labor in exchange for military service, loyalty, or administrative duties.

Furthermore, landownership was often tied to social hierarchies, with land rights distributed among different social groups based on caste, class, and religious affiliation. Brahmins, nobles, and temple authorities held significant landholdings, while peasant cultivators, artisans, and laborers worked the land under various tenancy arrangements.

Overall, the agrarian structure in pre-British India was characterized by a complex interplay of communal land tenure, feudal landholding, and social stratification, shaping the socioeconomic relations and agricultural practices of the time.